Camino: Day 11

Distance: 29 KM (18 miles)

Weather: cloudy with short showers part of the afternoon, 54-65°

Time on trail: 8 hours counting rest stops

Today was our longest distance for walking. I felt good the whole way, but once we arrived at the hotel, my legs & feet were not shy about letting me know it had been a long day.

We left Belorado around 7:50. Too early to see the oldest market.

Unlike most days, we didn’t see a single pilgrim as we left. It wasn’t until much later we started to see people.

We have been friends with 2 young Korean girls from the first day. They have always been strong walkers, but today I saw that one of them now has tendinitis in one of her knees. This seems to be a problem we hear a great deal on the trail. In the beginning it was blisters, now tendinitis.

The trail started out with the same countryside we have enjoyed for many days. Open landscape with rolling hills and freshly plowed land.

This continued for the first 3 hours into Villafranca Montes de Oca.

After that we started a gradual climb up the Montes de Oca that took us into a forest. Years ago this forest was haven for highwaymen & thugs. Thankfully this is no longer a problem.

Before we started we made sure we had food & water because the next town was 7 miles away.

This is also where we experienced rain for the first time and needed to pull out our rain ponchos.

With little more than 3 miles to go before reaching San Juan de Ortega, we enjoyed the best volunteer rest stop on the walk so far. As before, she only asked for a donation.

She was an American country music fan. As we walked up Allen Jackson, “Chattahoochee” was playing followed my Kenny Rogers “The Gambler,” Dolly Parton “9 to 5,” and Toby Keith, “I Love This Bar,” as we were leaving.

Finally reached San Juan de Ortega for a late lunch break and much needed girl’s bathroom.

With only 3 more miles to go we were out of the forest and back into the open landscape.

I’m always entertained by the murals on the homes & buildings on the Camino. Here are some we passed by today.